


Sleeping Arrangements

by SuburbanSun



Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Post-Episode: 3x12 A Weekend In The Country, Sharing a Bed, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-09 20:09:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8910343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/pseuds/SuburbanSun
Summary: When Joey wakes up, Pacey's fast asleep in the rocking chair across the room. But it's late, and she can't make him drive all the way home.Missing moment after the end of 3x12 A Weekend in the Country.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fmnds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fmnds/gifts).



> Pacey and Joey forever. Happy YT!

Joey awoke with a start from one of those anxiety-dreams where you feel like you’ve just tripped over something imaginary and can’t quite catch yourself before the fall. They’d become a regular occurrence in her life lately.

She blinked, yawning. Once the sleep had cleared from her eyes, she peered around the living room to get her bearings.

The fire was still crackling in the fireplace, though it had faded down to a flicker. The room was otherwise dim, and the only person in sight was--

Pacey, fast asleep in the wooden rocking chair across from her, his cheek propped precariously on one fist. Seeing him there surprised her, and she sat up fast on the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around her. Either the rustling of fabric against upholstery or her quiet gasp managed to wake him.

“‘m up, ‘m up,” he mumbled, scrubbing a hand down over his face. 

“What are you still doing here?” Joey paused, squinting at him across the room. “Were you watching me sleep?” she asked in a whisper before she can stop herself. His eyes widened as he grew more awake. He sat up straighter in his chair, chuckling incredulously.

“Now, why’d I want to do a thing like that, Potter? Just to see how much drool you get on the pillow?” 

Joey scowled, but snuck a look at the throw pillow she’d been sleeping on, just to make sure there was no merit to his claim. (There wasn’t.) “Don’t be a creep, Pacey.”

“Hey, is that any way to talk to a guy who helped save the weekend?” He picked up a throw pillow from the floor beside his chair and tossed it lightly at her. She caught it easily and hugged it to her chest. 

“Even if you also  _ caused _ said weekend to  _ require _ saving…” She sighed. “I suppose a thank you or two is in order for everything you did for me. For us. So thanks.” Her tone was begrudging, she knew, but she  _ did _ mostly mean it.

His smile was soft in the firelight. “Don’t mention it, Jo.” 

She flopped back down onto the couch, pulling her knees up so she could burrow back under the warmth of the blanket. “As if you’d let me forget it,” she said, but all the annoyance had seeped out of her voice. She blinked as she watched Pacey ease himself out of the chair to stand. He rocked back and forth on his heels, rubbing his hands together.

“I guess that’s my cue to head home. Let you get some shut-eye.” 

Joey could feel herself slipping back toward sleep. The sofa had never been the most comfortable spot to nap, but she didn’t have the energy to force herself to get up and go to bed. And if she couldn’t make it the 20 feet to her bedroom, could she really expect Pacey to make it the six miles back to his house? She hummed, her eyelids beginning to droop. “You can stay if you want,” she said through a yawn.

Pacey hesitated in the middle of the room. She fought to keep her eyes open to watch him, and frowned when she saw the naked apprehension on his face. Since when did Pacey get nervous about anything?

After a moment, he shrugged and shook his head. “Nah, I, uh-- you wouldn’t believe the crick in my neck right now. I think that chair’s got it out for me. And we stripped all the beds after everybody left, so I’ll just head home.” 

Straining her eyes to peer at the wall clock, Joey could just make out the time-- half past three in the morning. She sighed into her pillow, and made a sleepy, swift decision before she could think better of it. 

“Pace,” she said. She scooted up on the couch so that she was only taking up half of it, and tossed the pillow he’d thrown at her to the other side. “It’s late. There’s plenty of room at the inn. Stop being a pain in the ass and come get some sleep.” 

Then she closed her eyes, because seeing Pacey Witter with a look of open vulnerability on his face made her feel unmoored somehow. Still, she allowed herself a small smile when she felt the cushions sink on the other side of the sofa. He stretched out and propped his feet up on the chest that sat in front of the couch, leaning back to get comfortable. She fanned out the end of her blanket so that it covered his legs, too, and snuggled into the couch, eyes still shut.

“You sure you’ve got enough room over there?” he asked, his voice lower and softer than it had been before. 

Joey yawned again. “‘m fine. Bessie and I had to share a bed for awhile when we were growing up. I got used to sleeping all curled up.” Her eyes were still closed, but could feel him reach over and adjust the blanket where it wasn’t quite covering her knees. She smiled a little, pushing her face further into the pillow so he wouldn’t notice.

“Just try to keep the snoring to a minimum.”

Her smile faded and she kicked at him irritably with one heel. “I do not  _ snore _ , Pacey.” He laughed and settled back on the couch.

“Alright, alright. You don’t snore.” For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the crackling remnants of the fire. She could feel sleep start to creep up on her again. 

“G’night, Pace,” she whispered. 

“G’night, Jo,” he whispered back. 

She didn’t have any more anxiety dreams that night. When she woke up to the morning sun streaming through the windows, her feet were toasty where they were tucked beneath Pacey’s thigh, and his warm palm rested comfortably on her calf.

She slipped away quietly and retreated to her bedroom before he could wake up, and tried not to overanalyze the fact that it had been the best she’d slept in weeks.


End file.
